Combined envelop and letter-sheet.



J. P. BEARDSLEY. COMBINED ENVELOP AND LETTER SHEET APPLICATION FILED DEC-20. 1917.

1,261,474. Pamnted Apr. 2, 1918.

JOSEPH P. BEARDSLEY, 01? LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS.

COMBINED ENVELOP AND LETTER-SHEET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

Application filedDec-ember 20, 1917. SerialNo. 208,110.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH P. BEARDSLEY, of Little Rock, in the county of Pulaski, and in-theState of Arkansas, have invented a certain new and useful Improvementin Combined Envelops and Letter-Sheets, and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to combined envelops and letter sheets, that is to say, blanks of sheet paper capable of being so folded that the single sheet may have written upon 1t invoices, statements, or ordinary letter correspondence which will be concealed by the folding and also written upon it the address or superscription, and the object of my invention is to secure a marked economy of paper and mucilage or gum, and time in handling mail matter and for the attainment of my object, my invention consists in the combined sheet and envelop hereinafter specified and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view showing the sheet before it is folded looking at the side which is to contain the invoice, statement or other written matter;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a sheet partially folded;

Fig. 3 is a front view showing it completely folded and sealed.

I employ a sheet 10 that is rectangular 1n form with a rectangular piece cut out of one corner at what is the top of the sheet and which is at the right looking at the reading matter on the sheet and providing what is in effect a straight upward projection or prolongation 11 whose upper edge is provided with gum to form a sealing flap 12. The distance from the right hand edge of the prolongation 11 to the right hand edge of the sheet is the same distance as the length of the prolongation from the corner or angle formed by the cut or notch to the top of the prolongation less the width of the sealing flap 12 so that by folding the prolongation on an oblique line extending from the angle or corner of the notch downward and to the left until it intersects the edge of the sheet at the left, the prolongation 11, including a triangular portion of the sheet adjoining the same will be placed transversely of the top portion of the sheet and carry the sealing flap 12 over the right hand edge of said portion so that it may be overlapped on the opposite side thereof and sealed. Preferably a folding. line 13 is provided to facilitate this operation, said folding line being produced by scoring or slightly creasing the sheet; in the diagonal direction explained. The portion of the sheet below the point of intersection of the folding line 13 and the left hand edge of the sheet, is first folded over upon that portion of the sheet to the right of said folding line and as many folds of such lower portion are made as the length thereof requires in order that when folded it may be within the compass of the folded over prolongation 11 and the contiguous triangular portion of the sheet, so as to be completely covered thereby. The upper left hand portion of the thus folded over sheet folds over with the prolongation 12 and the contiguous portion of the sheet above the folding line 13 and its fold takes place on a line co1nciding with said folding line 13, the latter thus constituting a guide for the final folding operation. The folded sheet presents the appearance of a rectangle with one corner missing which corresponds to the upper left hand corner of the ordinary rectangular envelop.

It will be evident that by my invention enormous economy of paper is secured; there is practically no waste in cutting as in the case of an ordinary envelop for the rectangular portions cut out of the sheet to provide the prolongation 11 may be used for scratch pads and sold at approximately full weight value; an enormous saving of mucilage or gum over that required with the ordinary envelop is effected; and the labor of inserting separate letter sheets in envelops is saved and practically nothing more is required in preparing the matter for mailing than is required in the operation of folding the ordinary letter sheet preliminary to inserting it in an envelop. By making the folds on the side opposite the address or superscription, the latter need be written but once and so a great saving efiected in that way.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. A combination envelop and letter sheet consisting of a sheet having at one side and one end a rectangular notch forming at one side thereof a prolongation and weakened upon an obliquely extending line reaching from the corner of said notch downward and laterally and intersecting the opposite edge laterally and intersecting the opposite edge of the sheet at a point above the bottom edge of the sheet, the portion of the sheet below said point of intersection being foldable over upon the portion of the sheet above 7 said point of intersection, the top edge of said prolongation being gummed to form a sealing flap.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing 20 I hereunto set my hand.

JOSEPH P. BEARDSLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

